Test Drive Unlimited for Xbox 360 review (Test Drive Unlimited (Xbox 360))

Member Name: smart_storm

Product:	Test Drive Unlimited (Xbox 360)
Date:	28/09/08 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of vehicles to race with, a big island to race and explore

Disadvantages: Lacks a story/plot, delivery missions are sometimes boring, cop chases are not intense

Test Drive Unlimited is a racing game developed by Eden Studios and published by Atari. As a new addition to one of the longest running racing franchises Test Drive, this game does bring some fresh ideas of gameplay that turns out to be exciting and enjoyable but also falls short in some areas. To be specific, I have a lot to appreciate about this game but also a bit to complain about. I will never call it "the perfect racing game" but I have to admit that this game packs enough fun and racing action to keep you playing for hours. Lets throw some light on this brand new racing game from Eden Studios. First I will discuss those aspects of this game that you will enjoy and appreciate.

1. This game has lots of toys to play with. The good news for racing fans is that there are lots and lots of licensed sport cars (I think the total number of cars and bikes taken together exceeds 100) from brands like AC, Alfa Romeo, Ascari, Aston Martin, Audi, Cadillac, Caterham, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Edonis, Farboud, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Lexus, Lotus, Maserati, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Noble, Pagani, RuF, Pontiac, Saleen, Shelby, Spyker, TVR, Volkswagen, Wiesmann and not just that, you also have bikes from Ducati, Kawasaki, MV Agusta and Triumph. The developers have done quite good work on this respect and deserve appreciation. The cars look exactly as they would in real life. In addition to that, you can also download new cars via Xbox Live. This only makes it more interesting.

2. You will be playing the whole game on a landscape that has been modelled based on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and has miles and miles of racing tracks and a beautiful and vast landscape to explore. Portraying an existing location in the real world into a game adds realism to the game . But one thing which I should point out is that in some places you will notice differences between the real Oahu and the virtual Oahu modelled here. But its ok. I think it can never be a perfect replica.

3. Everything you do in the single-player mode, you can do the same in the multi-player mode too. This is surely a strength of the game and something which racing game fans have been missing in many of the other racing games available in the market. In fact according to me, this is one of the biggest reasons as to why you should play this game.

4. There is also ample fun in the multi-player mode where you can challenge another player anytime you want. Being able to do that is simply awesome. In addition to that you can create your custom challenges and also participate in the custom challenges of other players. The extent to which challenges can be customized is another enjoyable aspect of this game.

5. You have a lot of things to do in-game. The game will offer lots of races and missions to you.

Now if you remember, in the beginning of this review, I said that I also have a few things to complain about. Now lets throw light on those areas where the game falls short.

1. The game actually lacks a story/plot.

2. The delivery missions like delivering hitchhikers or models to their destinations can be boring at times and the game forces you to play these missions to earn in-game cash.

3. The A.I. of computer controlled racers arn't that impressive and the 'cop-chase' part isn't that intense.

But inspite of all such drawbacks, Test Drive Unlimited still stands out as an enjoyable racing game, definitely worth giving a try.

Summary: An enjoyable racing game but not "the perfect racing game"